French onion soup

What a brilliant thread more of this please.
I made a soup last week with frozen onions, ready prepared diced carrots and swede (came as a substitution for fresh parsnips in my online shopping) diced cooked chicken breast. diced pancetta (two packs in sleeve, used both) chicken stock, squeeze of umami paste, good sprinkle of all purpose seasoning, diced potatoes and two chicken stock cubes. I sent a couple of portions to my son who texted me back to say "Mum you are a great cook, that soup was outstanding". I love trying new soup flavours and will be experimenting with the french onion, I have some cheap brandy left over from the brandy butter ingredients at Christmas.

My electric pressure cooker makes lovely French onion soup so I'm sure a soup maker would be just as good.

4allweknow

Just on an onion note, what can I do with 3 kilos of red onions? But of a mix up with click and collect order. Did have 4 kilo but managed to offload one on my neighbour.

Nigella slices raw red onions thinly and steeps in vinegar then uses as an accompaniment to other dishes. We used to slice cucumber with the onion too, or red cabbage.

PippaZ
I can't eat onions either (severe IBS and dietician has put me on the FODMAP diet). I use asafoetida powder instead of onions in casseroles etc (fry a pinch of it for a minute or so before adding other ingredients). It gives a little onion flavour.

Oh this thread is SO delicious - it's made me NEED this soup and the cheese toasty things!

I don't suppose it would manage the gruyere toasts either!

When the pressure cooker has made the soup I ladle a small amount into a baking tin, place the toasts on top and grill them. They soak up the soup underneath and can then be popped back on top of the soup when it's served.

Unfortunately it has to be low fat cheddar at the moment.

Cursed Lockdown weight!!

Milliedog

PippaZ
I can't eat onions either (severe IBS and dietician has put me on the FODMAP diet). I use asafoetida powder instead of onions in casseroles etc (fry a pinch of it for a minute or so before adding other ingredients). It gives a little onion flavour.

Oh Milliedog we can exchange recipes I have been on the low FODMAP regime for a few years now. I have not felt so well for years so it's worth it but it is such a learning curve. I'm not keen on asafoetida but I haven't tried frying it first so must do that.

Strange things have become my favourite's. I make a Spanish Orange cake and freeze it in portions and then make another when I am running low - I am never without it and one portion a day keeps the orange under the portion size of half a small orange. It's biggest "thing" though is that it's a cake anyone can eat. Have you found Becky Excell? She would call it a "muggles cake". It has meant, when we could, I could offer it happily to other people.

(Becky Excell does a lot of gluten free and low fodmap recipes. She has a group on FB).

I made onion soup last week and caramelised mine in the slow cooker, took about 6 hours but very low maintenance! Just sliced onions and some oil and stirring occasionally

Could you not do that please Gardenersdelight I can both smell and almost taste beautiful onions!

Really though, slow cooking has always been a British way of cooking and it does bring the flavours out an tenderise beautifully.

Hi all
We are great lovers of soup in our family, the most popular being lentil and secondly leek and potato.
Jenni, your soup maker sounds good, maybe I will invest in one after Covid, just wondered if you need to blend it after cooking?
Thank you if you have a chance to reply.